Steam-superheating apparatus for locomotives.



J. PRI MROSE.

STEAM SUPBRHBATING APPARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

. APPLICATION FILED MAY 2'7, 1907. 1-,037,3 1 3.

Patented Sept. 3,1912

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. PRI'MROSE, I STEAM SUPERHEATING APARATUS FOR LOCOMOTIVES. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 27, 1901.

1,037,313, Patented Sept.'3,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o w vmmo 10/: n Primras e, 5 mm M/Co-z,

-. To all it may concern.

Joim rmmnosn, or new Yonx, N. Y.

s'rnam-surnnnnarmc ArPAnArus r03 ocomogrrvns.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

I Application filed may 27, 1907. Serial No. 375,784.

Be it known that I, JOHN PnIMRosE, a I subject of the King of GreatBritain,- re-' type.

siding at New York, in the county of Kings and-State of New York,'haveinvented certalin -TIQW' .and useful Improvements in Stcam-SuperheatingApparatus for Loco- -motives, ofwhich the following is a specification,reference being had to the drawing 10 same;

accompanying and forming part of the My invention relates tosteam'superheat- 'ers and has for its chief objectto provide a simpleand eflicient s'uperheating apparatus'for use with boilers of thelocomotive In carrying out the invention in the preferred manner thesuperheater is incloscd in asuitable chamber'or casing which is arrangedtransversely across the boiler, somewhat nearer the fire-box than thesmoke-box end of the boiler. The superthrough the sides of the boiler;or the chamher or 'box may be formed'of two spaced tube-sheets, reachingfrom the bottom of the 1 boiler to a suitable height, where it is pro-'vided with'a cover or roof. At each end of the box is a" lined door, sothat each end of the superheater is readily accessible for cleaning,inspection, repairs, etc. The boiler tubes 'o'rfflues which wouldotherwise pass through thespace occupied by the superheater chamber aremade in two lengths,

"those leading from the fire box discharging the furnace gases into thesuperheating chamber, While those forward of the chamber convey thegases therefrom to the smokebox. The superheater, which is disposed jin; an advantageous manner in l the cham- "ber, is thus sub ected to hotgases at a hlgher temperature than they would possess after passingthrough the entire length of the tubes, and a higher supcrheat cantherefore;

be obtained than is possible with the superheater located in the smokebox.,

A very effective embodiment bf the invention is illustrated in the minxed drawings, to which reference may do. be made. In the drawings,Figure 1 is a side elevation of a locomotive boiler, with the end of,

. the superheating chamber'in section to show the superheaterin placetherein.- Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the portion of the boiler inwhich the super-heating chamber is located, showing the manner ofconnecting the superheater with the steam space of the boiler. Fig. 3 isa detail View on a larger scale, in longitudinal section, taken on lineIII of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail View on a larger scale, in transversesection taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view, onthe same plane as Fig. 3, of a modi fication, showing another type ofsuperheating chamber.

The preferred form of superheating chamber is shown in Figs. 1 to 14:,and consists of a rectangular box 1, extending transversely-across theboiler, 2, at a point somewhat nearer the fire-bpx, 3, than the smoke"borne. The ends 01' the chamber project through the sides of the boilerand are rcvided with removable closures 5, 6, to a 0rd ready access tothe interior, The chamber 'is secured in position in any suitable mannerso'as to make tight joints with the boiler -shell, and the top andbottom'of the chamber may be supported in the same way as the flatsurfaces of the combustion chambers common in marine-boiler practice. Byreason of its rectangular shape thechamber forms the best possiblesupport for the portions of the-boiler otherwise left unsupported whenthe openings in the sides are made. All of the strains produced by steampressure against the boilen shell are taken by members of the box intension; and since,

as will be seen, there is no tendency for the box to get "out of shapethere is practically no danger of leaks. The ends of the tubes, 6, arerolled into the front and rear walls of the chamber, as shown in Fig. 3.The furnacev gases therefore flow through the chamber in their passageto the smoke-box. The superheater itself is preferably composed of twosections, extending from end to end of the chamber, across the boiler,each 'composed of vertical inlet and outlet headers 7 and 8respectively, and interme- .diate horizontal'tubes 9. The inlet headers?i}. tend through the top of the chamber, outside of the boiler, and areconnected by bends lOfito the supply pipe 11-12, inside the boiler andreceiving steam from the dome 13. The

in parallel, passes out of the superheater at viding the necessarystrength for the element, and .a casing composed of cast-metal taperedrings 17, shrunk'in place on thefoundation (tube. The rings increase theheating surtace oflthe tubes, and at the same time the large mass ofmetal thus introduced absorbs a considerable amount of heat, thuspreventing overheating when starting up or when no steam is passingthrough, so that automatic devices for protecting the superheater atsuch times are unnecessary. Also, the heat held by the casing preventsrapid cooling of the superheater when steam is not going through thetubes and the fire is chec ed, so that when steam is again sent throughthe superheater the steam will leave the superheater at a highertemperature than would be the case ii the cast metal casing were notused.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 5 the front and rear walls ofthe chamber are carried down to the bottom of the boiler, like tubesheets, as 18, 19, and to protect the boiler shell the bottom of thechamber is lined with fire-brick, as shown at 20. At a convenient pointis an aperture provided with a closure 21, to permit easy removal ofcinders, soot, etc., from the chamber. This form of chamber lacks thebottom plate of the other type of chamber,

but its place may be supplied by transverse bars, not shown, below thesuperheater. In

both forms of superheatingchamber the superheater is spaced from thefront and rear :walls sufiiciently topermit the insertion of a blowertube having its' nozzle bent at right angles, for the purpose of blowingsoot out of the boiler tubes.

Because of the high degree of superheat ordinarily desirable inlocomotives and because of the limited size of superheater that can beused, due to the restricted space available therefor, it is necessary to.have the gases come in contact with the superheater at as high atemperature as the superheater elements will stand. In accordance withthese requirements the superheating chamber described herein may belocated at any suitable point between the fire box and the smoke-box;and if the tubes are of the Foster type, described above, thesuperheater may he placed much nearer the firebox, with correspondinglyhigher superheat, than if tubes of the ordinary kind are used. Numerousother advantages flow from the invention described herein. For example,

readily be cleaned of soot, etc., by means of the, boiler tubes and thesuperheater can a steam or anjet operated through the ends of thechamber. The superheater is easy of oller heating surface is reduced ythe .omission of portions of the fire-tubes, this does not mean thatevaporation will be reduced in the same proportion, for the reason thatthe superheater will absorb less heat from the'gases than would theomitted portions of the fire tubes. Hence the temperature of the gasesentering the tubes at the smoke-box side of the chamber will be higherthan it would be at the same point 'if the tubes were continuous;consequently there will be a greater difference of temperature betweenthe gases, in the outlet firetubes, and the water surrounding thelatter; and more water will therefore be evaporated. The presentsatisfactory arrangement of exhaust nozzles, screens, etc., in the frontend of the locomotive is not disturbed Althou h the 1 as would be thecase with a superheater 10- cated in the smoke-box. Other advantageswill be apparent to the skilled engineer, but these thus brieflyreferredto are suflicient to. show the marked utility of theinventionand that it avoids or obviates most, if not all, of theobjections heretofore urged against the use of superheaters in -l000-'motives.

It is of course understoodthat the appa-" ratus herein specificallyillustrated and deconnected thereto; a superheater in the chamber,spaced from the-open ends of the said connected fire-tubes to permit theintroduction of a nozzle for projecting a blast into the tubes to cleanthe same the superheating chamber having opposite ends projectingthrough openings in the side walls of .scribed is merely the preferredform of the the boiler, a heating tube in the chamber,

and headers secured to the projecting ends and communicating with saidtube, as set forth.

2. The combination with a boiler having fire-tubes: of a superheatingchamber extending transversely through. the boiler, connected with aplurality of fire-tubes and having its ends extendingoutside the boiler;and a superheater in the chamber, comprising inlet and outlet headers atthe ends of the chamber exterior to the boiler shell, andsuperheatingtubes connecting the same; as set forth.

3. The combination with a boiler having at fire-box and fire-tubeslending therefrom, send boiler having oppositely disposed openings inits side walls. of n superliealing element extending transversely of theboiler and connected with said tire-tubes, the ends of the chamberprojecting through the openings in the boiler, headers located in theends of said chamber, steam pipes connecting the headers, and closuresfor said openings.

4. In a steam boiler, the combination with discontinuous fire-tubes, ofa'superheatin chamber located between the sections of sai f tubes, thesuperheating chamber comprising a substantially rectangular body portionprojecting at its opposite ends through opposits sides of the boilershell.

5. In a steam boiler, the combination with discontinuous fire-tubes, ofa superheeting chamber located between the sections of said tubes thesuperheeting chamber comprising a substantially rectangular body portionprojecting at its opposite ends through op posits sides of the boilershell, and super heating tubes Within the chamber.

6. In a steam boiler, the combination with discontinuous fire-tubes, ofa super-heating chamber projecting across the path of the discontinuousfire-tubes and connected there to to establish communication between thediscontinuous sections thereof, and. said su ierhceting chamberrojecting through openings in opposite sides of the boiler shell.

7. In it steam boiler, the combination with discmitinnous lire-tubes, ofa siiperhcatinp;

chamber located between the sections of said tubes, the superheatingchamber comprising a substantially rectangular body portion projectingat its opposite ends through on posit-e sides of the boiler shell, andsuper heating'tnbes within the chamber, and removable closures at theprojecting ends of said chambers.

8. The combination with e 'hoiler oi the locomotive type, having atire-box and e smoke-box connected by fire-tubes, of a superheetingchamber between the fire-box and the smolre-hox arranged in the path ofand extending transversely across a plurality of fire tubes andconnected thereto, said chamber being" of less heightthan the ver ticaldiameter of the boiler and supported above the bottom. thereof, wherebyto leave above and below the chamber free communication for steam andwaterin the portions of the boiler in front and rear of the chamher, anda superheeter mounted in the chamberend connected with the steam spaceof the boiler, and means for conveying the sunerhected steam from thesuperheoter to the cng me, l

9. The combination with a boiler of the locomotive type, having afire-boy; and tiretu bes leading therefrom, of a; box-like superheatingchamber extending through the side walls of the boiler in front of thefire-box and across a plurality of the firetubes, the bottom of saidchamber being spaced above the bottom of the boiler and the top of thechamber being spaced below the top of the boiler whereby to provide freecommunication between the front and rear portions of the boiler, asuperheeter mounted in said chamber and connected with the steam spaceof the boiler, and re movable closures for the projecting ends of thesuperheating ehambe 10. The combination with a boiler of the locomotivetype, having a furs-boltand a smoke-box opposite ends, and firetubesconnecting the two, or? e superheating cheer her extending transverselythrough the boiler and secured to the side walls of the boiler, aplurality of the firetubes being connected to the tront and rear wellsof the chamber to deliver furnace gases to the chamber and convey suchgases from the chamber to the smoke-box, the bottom of the chamberbeing; spaced above the bottom of the boiler and the top of the chamberbeing space-d below the top of the boiler, a, pair of superheetersmounted in the chamber, means for conveying steam from the boiler to thesuperhecters, and. independent means for conveying; superheated steamfrom the superhceters trrthe respective engines.

11. The combination with a boiler of the locomotive type, having afire-box and a. SIl'lOlZC lJOX and fire-tubes connecting the two, of asuperheeting chamber in the form of a. rectangular bomextendingtransversely tl'irongh the side walls the" boiler and across it plnmlityof the iirc-tubes, to which the front Ll rear wells of the chamher areconnected, the top and bottom of the chitfnher being spaced from the topand bottom respectively of the boiler, whereby to provide freecommunication above and below the chamber between the front and rearportions 01 the boiler, vertical inlet headers in the ends of thesnperheating chamber and outside of the boiler, outletheaders along sideof the inlet headers, superheating tubes connecting each nlet header tothe outlet header on the opposite side of the chamber, means fordeliveringsteam from the boiler to the inlet hcnders, and means forconveying steam from the outlet headers to 'the respective engines,

, JOHN rnncnosr.

WVitnesses: M. Laws-0N DYER,

S. S. Dunne-M,

